Heavy on the 'Dis'
by Goldenstripe2510
Summary: How could something so simple have turned out so wrong? It was meant to be a celebration...but it only turned out to be a disaster. "This wasn't supposed to happen!" "It's not Ok!"
1. Sleep in

**Ok, I've been given this assignment in class to write a 400+ word, first person perspective story. I asked my teacher if that was it and he gave me an 800+ word story. So being the young justice fanwritter I am, I secretly wrote it about Young Justice. Sorry if it doesn't correspond much with Young Justice, I don't want the teacher to recognise it and possibly mark me down. Oh, and sorry if it's short. P.S. This is just the first chapter. **

**I really need you guys to review honestly with this story so that I can make it better in any way possible.:)**

**Diclaimer: I do not own young justice.**

_How could something so simple have turned out so wrong? It was meant to be a celebration... But it only turned out to be a disaster. Heavy on the 'Dis'._

It all started the day before my 15th birthday. Sun streamed through the gap between my curtains. I woke to the smell of bacon that wafted through the mansion we live in. By 'we' I mean my guardian, millionaire Bruce Wayne, the old butler, Alfred, and me, Richard John Grayson, former acrobat. When my parents died, Bruce took me in as his ward. My family and I had been high-flying acrobats for Circus Alarni. We performed amazing feats on the trapeze in front of large crowds.

Bright lights beamed up at us as we gracefully glided through the air. The audiences cheering reached us high up in the big top. My mamma would jump off into her solo routine, her long golden hair streaming out behind her and it stood out against the blue and orange costume she wore. After a while my dada would join her. His colours contrasted hers. He wore a yellow and purple costume and had short black hair. Everyone around the circus thought I looked just like him. My dada would join in and start swinging my mamma around as they flew around in a blend of colours. Next it was my turn. Mamma would always finish at my side while the ring master re-announced. I would stand tall in my red and green costume. Mamma would smile at me proudly and whisper softly "Are you ready my little Dikkie bird?". My only reply would be to grin, then flip over the adoring crowd and landing beside my dada.

Those days were well and truly over now. I had been living in Gotham under the care of Bruce since I was eight. Bruce had become more than just a guardian. He became a father to me and he treated me like his son. I thought of Alfred in the same way. To me he was a grand-father, not just a butler. In honour of my parents I still worked on my acrobatic routine. Pushing those thoughts away I reluctantly opened my heavy eye lids and looked at the alarm clock beside my bed. It read 8:00am. Ignoring it, I rolled over letting the warmth of the bed draw me back into sleep. My eyes snapped open when I realised what had just happened. Not only had I slept in, but I had blatantly disregarded the time when I saw it. Quickly I shot out of bed and rushed to the wardrobe pulling out my formal school uniform.

**ooo000OOO OOO000ooo**

Minutes later I was in the kitchen, almost ready for school. Bruce stood there smirking. "Sleeping beauty's awake." I dragged my bag to beside the kitchen counter. "Actually, make that just sleeping." He joked then his face turned serious. "You ok? It's not like you to sleep in."

"No, I don't actually." Grumpily I mumbled under my breath. Bruce raised an eyebrow but I decided to ignore it. A decision I would later come to regret. I shoved my lunch in my bag then dragged it to where a pile of my study books were sitting so I could put them in it too. Alfred chose this moment to come into the room. I zipped up my bag and pulled it over my shoulder. "Can we go now Alfred?" The old butler nodded, leading the way towards the car's garage. On the way out of the room I shot a glare at Bruce. "I'll get you back for that 'sleeping beauty' joke."

**Well how was it? Please review. Any tips or pointers would be gratefully appreciated. Thanks for reading! :D**


	2. Schooled

**Chapter 2. This is where things get a bit more muddled up, but please don't let that decide the fate of this story. I'm relying on your feedback as to whether this is worth handing in to my teacher.**

**Huge Thanks to:**

**Blue Torpedo: Thanks! And again, sorry. :)**

**READINGhearts17: All will be revealed. *insert evil laugh***

**Poseidon'sdaughter3: Nawww glad you liked it. The reason it may seemed muddled up is for that **_**exact**_** reason. I'm gunna have to change Bruce's name to Oliver and call Gotham, Clarkstead. Lol.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice.**

On the way to school I tried in vain to straighten out my uniform. It consisted of a white dress shirt, navy blue pants and a navy blue blazer. The navy tie was thrown loosely over my neck. My hair wasn't gelled back, or even brushed. In fact, my whole appearance screamed messy. The car pulled up at the front gate and I hastily jumped out. As I walked through the courtyard I could feel everyone's eyes on me. I felt smaller than I really was, and I was pretty small. I was also used to being small. Because of my intelligence I was placed two grades above my age and this year I was doing year 12. Most of my friends were older than me.

My best friend, Barbra, came rushing up to me, her orange hair whipping around in the slight wind. At the sight of me she held a hand over her mouth to stop the laughter. "What happened? Did Bruce put you in the dryer?"

"Ha ha, very funny. No, I slept in." This time she didn't hold back. She burst into a fit of laughter. I rolled my eyes and walked past her into the building.

She caught up to me and followed me through the hallways, walking backwards so she could pester me even more. "Wow, Mr Neat-and-tidy dares to be messy. Are you feeling ok?"

She tried to mock-check my temperature but I swatted her hand away. "I'm just tired from that business trip Bruce dragged me on." _If only! _I moved towards my locker.

Barbra's locker just happened to be next to mine. She started to unlock her lock. "How was that trip anyway? I've read that it's really hot and dry in the Western Sahara, especially this time of year. What does El Aaiun look like? Did you get me a souvenir?"

I smirked a little. Unzipping my bag I pulled out a little carved wooden elephant. "The trip was as boring as ever. It was hot and dry and I had to put up with Bruce and his lame sense of humour. But, I managed to have a little fun when I slipped away to get you this." A childish grin was plastered on my face.

She took the elephant from my hands then smiled at me. "Would you look at that, Mr Neat-and-tidy-whose-messy-and-grumpy is smiling." After the murderous glare I gave her she held her hands up in defence. "Kidding, I was just kidding!" Carefully she placed it in the front of her bag. "Thanks Dick." Her warm smile momentarily made me feel better, made me feel warm inside. "So..." Barbra whispered softly. "What was it like being so close to home? Did you and Bruce go through there?" My breath got caught in the back of my throat. I gulped hard. I knew she was referring to Romania, the place I was born. My black hair covered my sad blue orbs as I looked down. Just the thought of Romania made me think of _them_. I choked out my words. "We didn't go to Romania, it was too..._painful_." I flinched at that word. To distract myself I ordered the books for the day's classes.

Barbra smile sympathetically at me then brightened up. "Hey, you can leave your calculus books out. We have a big test today." I groaned at the thought of it.

**oooOOO000 000OOOooo **

The day went by slowly. I fell asleep during first-period English, then again half way through third-period Chemistry. At recess I sat and tuned out on Bab's non-stop talking about the latest Gotham crimes and murders. Gotham was notorious for serious crimes, drug rings and murders. Barbra's dad was the police commissioner. Every day I would listen intently for all the latest. That day though, I wasn't. I was too out of it and her rambling was only making the pounding in my head worse. The bell ringing couldn't have come soon enough.

My next period was French. I walked in and sat beside my French partner, Artemis, in the back row. She flicked her long pure blonde hair over her shoulder. If I hadn't have known her I would have thought it was bleached, but I was friends with her and knew as a fact that it was natural, which was weird considering she was half Vietnamese. She also had an attitude problem and was very stubborn and independent.

Our teacher Madame Fontaine, walked in holding a pile of books, her high heels clicking loudly as she walked. I didn't remember the class ever starting, only Artemis jabbing me in the side later on. "Dick, are you even paying attention?" She returned to trying to learn French.

I was going to fall asleep again when Madame Fontaine startled me. "Quelle est la rèsponse Richard?" French was a subject I excelled in. I could speak fluent French and was well above everyone in the entire school (even the teacher) except Artemis, who was my equal.

In that moment all I could summon up was "Huh?" The whole class snickered. Artemis and Madame Fontaine were in complete shock.

The teacher got over her shock and re-asked the question. "Quelle est la rèsponse Richard?"

I stared at her dumbfounded. "Un lapin?"

Everyone burst into laughter. "SILENCE!" She screeched. The class went quiet. She narrowed her eyes at me. "The answer is _not _'a rabbit'." Sighing I banged my head onto the table. I was so doomed!

**Thanks for reading! Please review! I dare everyone who reads this to review, even if you write just one word. A dares a dare. :) **


	3. Fighting

**Dun dun dun. I'm back with chapter 3. Hopefully this will bring some clarity for you guys. Cross your fingers. :) Sorry if any spellings wrong, it's too late at night for me. **

**Thank you to the reviewers! That is READINGhearts17, ImaniSechelles, Ansa88, .Sue.29 (I don't hate you, it'll help me improve on the areas I'm not strong on :) and Toadflame. Thanks guys!**

**P.s. I edited the mistakes I made in my last two chapters.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice.**

The rest of the day went by even slower. My head was so fuzzy but I put that down to jetlag. My blazer was on and off all day. One minute I'd be freezing and the next I'd be hot. It was windy though, so I blamed the cold gusts. Calculus was torture, I didn't even try in the test. It was too hard to concentrate and when you're the leader of the mathletes, that's a really bad sign. At lunch I didn't eat, just slept. Babs took me to the sick bay where they rang Bruce.

On the drive home I was silently watching the scenery blur past, or at least that's what Bruce saw. In reality I was feeling queasy and trying to stop the rising urge of throwing up. Bruce was quiet as well. He looked ticked off and stressed. Bruce's car parked in front of the mansion. I opened the door and stood dizzily. The world swayed beneath my feet causing me to be off balance.

Steadying myself after a moment, I walked into the mansion while Bruce sat in the car. I stumbled up the grand staircase. By the time I had reached the top I heard Bruce stomp into the foyer below. He spotted me above and made his way up the stairs. "Richard Grayson, we need to have a talk." He stood tall with a stern look on his face. That sternness softened when caught a glimpse of my watery blue eyes. "What happened today?"

I peered at him from behind the black hair that hung over my eyes. "You tell me." I mumbled.

"Oh so that's how your playing it!" Bruce's anger came back. "Well I got three calls today; one to say that you weren't paying attention, then another to say that your teachers are concerned because you failed a major calculus test, then again to come and pick you up. That last one I received during the middle of an important meeting."

I was finding it hard to locate my voice so anything I said came out in a mumble. "So this meeting is more important than me?"

"This meeting was _very_ important to the whole company and shouldn't have had to have been interrupted by school issues." I tried to control my uneasy breathing while listening. "Actually, you know what? If you don't want to go to school and learn, then just tell me and I'll pull you out, otherwise it's a waste of time and money! You can't fail a major test like that!" He snapped. His hand reached out and gripped my arm tight. I let out a startled whimper. The force he held me with was crushing. Pain coursed up my arm, but it hurt more mentally than physically. "Make sure you have this very clear... get your head out of the clouds, or else." The threatening tone in his voice was scary.

That's when I broke. Tears slipped down my cheeks. My voice cracked. "Why? Do I have to be the smart kid all the time? Can I never fail?" My heartbeat sped up. I was so torn. Bruce had never said things like this before. With my free arm I wiped the tears from my eyes. Something changed inside of me. I leant into him so that I was closer to his face. "If I'm so stupid and such a burden, then why did you take me in? You're not my father!" I snarled pretty much spitting at him. His eyes widened and his grip loosened on my arm.

Using that, I yanked my arm away and ran up the hall. My legs and muscles protested against running and I had no energy to do so, but adrenaline kicked in and I pushed on. The mansion was so big and my room was near the back. I didn't care, I just ran. I reached my door and slammed it behind me then locked it so Bruce couldn't get in.

After pacing back and forth in front of my bed the adrenaline rush ended and I collapsed on my bed letting the tears rain down freely. They came in silent torrents. I hadn't cried like that since just after my parent's death. It was such a sharp blow. A reddy-purple band formed where Bruce had grabbed me. It felt like he was still gripping me, like he'd never let go. In the 6 and a half years I'd lived in the mansion, never had I seen Bruce that angry. It wasn't like Bruce to yell at me, let alone hurt me. Bits of the fight echoed around in my head. My head throbbed as if any second now it would explode. "_Waste of time and money._" "_You shouldn't have failed!_" "_Get your head out of the clouds, or else._""_Why did you take me in?_" The fought fuzzed out before intensifying and speeding up. _"Stupid, burden, fail, waste of time and money." _

I covered my ears and dug my head into my pillow. "No,no,no,no,no." I repeated quietly, until the heavy fog of thoughts pulled me into sleep.

**oooOOO000 000OOOooo**

When I woke only one thought remained. _"You're not my father!" _

I snatched up the mobile on the bedside table. I flicked it open and inspected the time. 9:00 pm. Before letting bitterness and anger take over my life, I needed to console someone. The first number that came to mind was what I typed. I knew I could trust him and he could help me. My fingers drummed the table nervously while I mentally yelled at him for not picking up. It was on the last dial when he finally picked up. "Wally here, what's up?"

"Hey Wally." I said just loud enough for him to hear me.

A choking sound came from the other end of the line followed by a loudly exhaled breath. "Rob, dude. I wasn't expecting a call from you."

My voice was still raw and quiet, _probably_ from the earlier crying. "When are you going to get my name right?" I complained.

"Right, Dick. Sorry, old habits die hard. And sorry I can't come to yours for your birthday, but you know how year 12 is... nothin' but work. My weekend's gunna be filled with study and assignments."

I groaned when I remembered my birthday was tomorrow. "Won't be much of a celebration."

"Why? What's wrong?" Wally asked.

'_What isn't wrong?'_ I thought. "Bruce is acting weird, _super _weird. Totally out of character. It wasn't very whelming."

Wally's amused chuckle entered my ears. "When are you going to stop butchering the English language?" He paused for a second. "Bruce is probably stressed, that's all."

"That's not all!" The scream was more like an exasperated whisper. "I think he's planning to throw..." Static sounds filled my phone.

"Sorry dude, I, uh... went through a tunnel?" He made a panicked cough then started speed-talking. "I'msureit'snothing,don'tpanic." He stopped when he heard no reply. "Hello? Dick, you there? Hello?"

All I wanted to do was reply, tell him how I felt. But I was too busy concentrating on my breathing. Suddenly I realised what was happening. My chest was tight and I was having trouble inhaling, a bead of sweat dripped down my forehead, I was chilled to the bone except hot all over at the same time and the pounding of my head was worse. The signs and symptoms I had been ignoring all day, they had all been pointing towards one obvious problem. It wasn't jetlag or the weather...I was coming down with something, something _big_.

After managing to control my breathing, I lay back on my bed and tried to give in to my tiredness. It worked for five minutes, but the combined fever and migraine was overpowering and it turned into quite a fitful sleep. I wanted to call for Bruce, but my voice wouldn't work. Besides, he hated me and would happily leave me to suffer and also not after the way he abused me. I would just have to handle this one myself. I'd manage.

**Cliff-hanger because of reasons. Anyway, thanks for reading and please, please review. :D**

**Good night!**


	4. Celebration

**As my friend Violet would say, 'A cure to your cliff-hanger phobia'. Oh and speaking of friends, "Happy Birthday" to Obiwan1022. :D Have a great day. **

**Thank you to Obiwan1022, greekfreak101, READINGhearts17, just eating toast, Bananalover13 and greyember13. Thanks for all your reviews, they made my day! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice**

I woke up drowsily. Bright sunlight came through the bottom of the window. The alarm read 9:45 am. Moaning, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. I looked down and saw that I was already dressed in black sweat pants and a baggy red jumper. 'I must've changed last night.' I thought absent-mindedly. A sharp pain consumed my head and thoughts making me clutch my ears. Eventually it died down to a dull throb. A fresh wave of nausea washed over me. I ran to my bathroom and made it to the toilet just in time to throw up. I hadn't eaten anything in over a day so I could only retch dryly. The feeling passed leaving my stomach sore and cramped.

I walked over to the tap on unsteady legs. The warm water ran over my hands. Grabbing the face washer, I scrubbed my mouth. I pulled it away and looked into the mirror. A deathly pale young kid was staring back. My eyes were hollow and had a dark ring around them from lack of sleep. I looked so fragile. All I could do was turn away.

Sighing I moved out of the room and slowly moved towards the door. I knew what I had to do. It was time to get out of my room, out of hiding. I hesitated at the door, my hand hovering over the handle. It unlocked with a click that made my heart lurch, but it had to be done sooner or later.

I had to face Bruce.

**oooOOO000 000OOOooo**

The mansion was eerily quiet. Not even the squeak of a mouse could be heard. I stumbled through the halls. I was hoping to find Alfred before facing Bruce. Alfred was still trustworthy even if Bruce wasn't. I headed toward the kitchen. Now I could see the room. It looked dark, like the lights weren't on. I didn't know how much further I could walk in the condition I was, so I went towards it.

As I was walking into the room a sudden vertigo hit me. The world under me felt like it was going to crumble. I was startled when the lights turned on, revealing a whole room full of my friends. I could see Barbra and Artemis, plus friends from other cities like Kaldur, Conner, M'gann, Zatanna, Raquel and Roy."Happy Birthday!" They all cheered. At that moment my legs buckled and I fell backwards, no longer able to support myself.

Wally came up to me grinning, just in time to catch me. "Woah dude, your..." His grin fell as I lay in his arms. A look of horror etched on his freckled face. "Burning up!" He exclaimed cradling me. A series of shocked gasps rippled through the party. He put his hand on my forehead but quickly pulled it away. "And pale, and we need to get you some medical attention!" The crowd parted to let a worried Bruce reach me and Wally. He leant down to feel my forehead but I snarled viciously and tried to dig closer into Wally. "It's ok dude, it's just Bruce." He whispered to me.

I furiously shook my head and looked at Wally with pleading eyes. He was confused but didn't argue. Bruce knelt down to the height Wally was holding me. I turned into Wally, away from Bruce. "I know I'm not your favourite person right now, and...I'm sorry, what I did was wrong, but you need to let me close so I can help you." He reasoned with me. I looked him in the eyes. He seemed genuinely concerned so I reluctantly let him feel my head. His eyes widened. "I'm so sorry Dick." He whispered ashamed. "I'm going to take him to the hospital." Bruce announced.

He tried to take me from Wally's arms but Wally pulled me back. "I'll carry him, I'm coming too." The two stood up and rushed me out of the room and out of the mansion. Bruce jumped into the driver's seat. Wally pulled me into the back seat and buckled me up. He let me lay on his lap while he stroked my soggy hair. The ride was quiet until Wally broke the silence. He was looking down at me when he noticed the bruises on my arm. "What happened to you?"

I wanted to tell him but I could barely speak, only one mumbled word came out of my mouth. "Bruce." Wally gasped,

Outraged he started yelling at Bruce. "How could you do this to him? What did he do to deserve this? You monster! You know Dick had so much trust in you and I was jealous of him. Now I realise I shouldn't have because you're no better than my parents." His words dripped with venom. He gripped me closer. "After this is over I will personally make sure you never get him back."

"Fine, take him away from me." Bruce sighed. "I don't deserve him. What I did was wrong. I was stressed about work and his party and...I just couldn't handle it all. I love Richard like he's my own son and after I realised what I'd done, I hated myself and I still do. He's one of the few joys in my life and I destroyed it. I'm an idiot. He doesn't deserve to have to live with me."

I sat up dizzily. Wally tried to get me to lie back down but I pushed his hand away. I stared into the car's mirror. "I forgive you, Bruce." My chest was tight but I managed to croak those words out. I caught a glimpse of Bruce's eyes in the mirror. They conveyed so many feelings. I lay back down on Wally then let out a painful cry as the sharp pain in my head came back. Wally tried to soothe me but it hurt so much and I was freezing.

Bruce looked back at me worried. "Hold on Dick, hold on."

**oooOOO000 000OOOooo**

We arrived at Royal Gotham Hospital. Wally picked me up and carried me bridal style into the building. Bruce went straight up to the busy receptionist who was going from one phone line to another. She smiled at us sympathetically, while talking to someone on the phone. She finished that phone call and turned to us. "Sorry about that, can I help you?"

"Yes." Bruce said. "My son's come down with a very high fever and..."

Another phone rang. "Sorry sir, we're extremely busy. 6 critical emergencies came through in the past hour." She smiled then answered the phone. "Slow down, we'll send an ambulance to you now. Are they still..."

Bruce got impatient. He turned to Wally. "Let's take him to a different hospital." Wally nodded and carried me back to the car. After Royal Gotham, Bruce went to Gotham Central Hospital, but they were too full. He even tried Gotham North hospital. The receptionist there told him that they didn't have time to deal with a rich guy who couldn't care for his son.

Wally was getting frustrated. After the third hospital he punched the door of Bruce's car. My condition was rapidly deteriorating. I was teetering dangerously on the edge of consciousness. I looked up desperately at my friend, my breathing coming out in uneven shallow breaths. He looked back at me with a forced calm facade, although I could tell he was freaking out on the inside. He grabbed my hand and squeezed it. "We're taking you to a hospital in the next town over, hang in there bro." His word's faded, as did everything else. I finally slipped into the dreamy state of unconsciousness. And it felt good.

**What do you think? Not too bad? Thanks for reading and please review!**


	5. Panic before Calm

**Hehehe. I did leave you with another cliff hanger, didn't I? Well I'll put you out of your misery now. This is the chapter my story was building up to. The end game (but not the last chapter :). **

**Thank you very much to greyember13, Flying Jay, just eating toast, READINGhearts17, greekfreak101 and Obiwan1022. You guys are awesome!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.**

Have you ever noticed how unconsciousness is one of the few things where bad is good? I mean, you know that being unconscious is dangerous, but it makes you forget that bad stuff is happening, so you feel better, peaceful even?

I was in this dreamy state, until a piercingly loud clash of metal jerked me back into reality. My eyes snapped open to see that I really _was_ being jerked forward. To my shock, the car started to flip. My forehead struck the car's console forcefully. I felt two arms that pulled me back and secured me while we rolled. I closed my eyes again in case it was a dream. The car shook violently and then came to a halting stop. I re-opened my eyes and found that it wasn't a dream. It was real.

Everything was a blur with no sound. I could feel Wally briefly hold me tighter. He jostled me lightly on the shoulders. I looked up at him panicked. He sighed and smiled at me. His lips moved but I couldn't hear him. Without warning Wally flinch, clenching his teeth with pain. "Wally..." I whispered. My hearing slowly came back. I looked around inspecting the damage but my head was still too spaced out to make sense of it. I heard a moan come from the front seat. "Bruce!" There was no reply. My head spun and I almost passed out again.

Wally inhaled sharply beside me, bringing my attention back to him. He cried out in pain. I watched him frozen in fear. He was distressed that I was seeing him suffer. "It's ok Dick, calm down. You need to calm..." After one last scream he fell unconscious.

"Wally!" I looked at the way he seemed limp. It was terrifying to see my best friend that way. Then the all too familiar headache came back with force. I gave my own cry of pain as my vision blurred out. The last thing I could hear was the heavy sound of a siren before a dark blanket of fog engulfed me.

_**oooOOO000 000OOOooo**_

"Dick, come over here." My parents smiled warmly at me. I strolled over to them and took my mama's outstretched hand. She pulled me into a hug. Once she let go, my dada placed a hand on my shoulder. "We want to show you around." I nodded silently and followed them. I followed them through a green field lined with vibrant yellow daffodils. Birds chirped happily, flying from the randomly spaced trees. Between the trees, hidden toward the back of the field was a small orange circus trailer, very much like the one I used to call home. The smell of my mama's cooking flowed from an open window.

I followed them past the trailer, out into the open where a cool wind blew. Mama stared at me. Her clear blue eyes were comforting. "We're proud of you my little Dickie bird. You've done good." She smiled and held an arm out. "Come fly with us."

"But what about Bruce... and Wally?"

She began to hover just above the ground. "Come take my hand, come fly with us. No pain, no hurt... just freedom." She tempted me. I smiled and reached out to her. Our fingers touched and electricity flowed through my body. The shock jolted me back into the black fog I had fallen into earlier.

**oooOOO000 000OOOooo**

The first thing I was aware of was the steady beeping of a heart monitor. The second thing was that someone was gently shaking my hand. "Dick, Dick. Come on, wake up." The sound of this feminine voice was soft, sweet and gentle. With a groan I groggily opened my eyes. It took awhile for them to adjust to the blinding white light. Once adjusted, I blinked to clear them of the fog that made everything blurry. Barbra stood over me smiling and sighed with relief when I looked at her. "It's good to see you're awake." She sat down in the chair beside my bed. "You scared everyone. We were all worried you wouldn't..." Barbra came over and dug her head into my side as she sobbed. I tried to sit up, to comfort her, but winced as my muscles protested against moving. She noticed and helped my lay back down. "Wh-What happened?" I asked. My voice sounded raspy because my throat was dry.

She snuffled and wiped away her tears. "Well, I don't know how much you remember but you collapsed at your birthday party."

I interrupted her from going any further. "I remember all of that. The last thing I remember is..." Memories flooded into my mind. I remembered the sound of metal bringing me out of unconsciousness, the way the car violently spun, Bruce's moan and Wally's panicked expression. A tear slipped down my face.

By the look on my face Barbra guessed what I was remembering. She continued on. "A drunk driver crashed into the side of your car on the way out of town. Your car rolled 3 times..." She burst into tears again.

That's when I remembered the dream about my parents in the field with the daffodils. I remembered my mama asking me if I wanted to fly, and the shock I got when our hands touched. I peered through my fringe. "D-did I die?" I choked out.

We were both reduced to whispering. "Not officially. Although you were critical and there were plenty of times we almost lost you." Her words ended so quietly they were almost inaudible.

"Where are Bruce and Wally?" I clenched my jaw and tried to get up but Barbra force me back down again.

She smiled sadly. "Calm down, they're fine. Bruce is recovering from a head injury and Wally..."

My eyes widened in alarm. "Why are you pausing?"

"Again, calm down. He can tell when he comes to visit you in the next few days, when you're feeling stronger."A smirk spread across her face. "Besides, you've just woken up from a four day coma, not to mention the sedatives they've given you. I don't think you'll be doing much for a while."

I lay back in my bed. "Why do I feel so lousy?"

"That illness you were coming down with, it was P. falciparum malaria. You probably caught it on that business trip. Were there a lot of mosquitoes in El Aauin?"

"Malaria?" I asked thoughtfully.

She nodded the started rambling about people who were telling her to tell me to get better. I was too drowsy now to listen to her. I closed my eyes and started drifting off to sleep. She noticed this and pulled the blanket over me. "Sleep well, Dick." She whispered then kissed me softly on the cheek.

'_Thanks Barbra.'_

**Sad enough for you? Thanks for reading. Please review and tell me how it was. :D**


	6. Visits

**Hello again! Enjoying the story so far? :]**

**Thanks to READINGhearts17, Reina Grayson, grayember13 and just eating toast, for reviewing! You rock!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice.**

Throughout the week I had many visitors. Some visits I remembered better than others. I was under sedation for the duration of the time. All my friends saw me multiple times. Zatanna came earlier in the week and gave me a teddy bear. The only reason I knew she came was because of the present. Raquel and Kaldur visited me several times but both had to go back to university. Barbra came at least once a day, and twice on the weekends.

M'gann and Conner were the most recent visitors (beside Barbra). By then I was more alert and energized. M'gann brought a bunch of daffodils for me. I don't know how she knew they were my favourite, but that was M'gann for you. She always knew stuff, like as if she could read your mind. Conner just stood there with his arms crossed. That was just how he showed he cared.

Neither Bruce, nor Wally visited.

Barbra came and saw me again at the end of the second week with some news. She told me that the doctors saw fit that I no longer needed to be sedated, which I was really excited about. It meant that I could stop feeling like I was constantly in a dream. But with that good news also came a bit of bad. Everyone saw it in my best interests to not have Wally visit me until they were sure that removing the sedative was the right thing.

After that I felt pretty miserable, but I always kept a smile on my face. I figured if they thought I was unhappy, Wally wouldn't be able to visit. And right now, I really needed him. I needed to talk to him more than anything. The next few days were hard. It was tough trying to act happy all the time when I felt so depressed. I got through them though.

It was Tuesday, 17 days after the accident, when Wally was finally allowed to see me. There was a much anticipated knock on the door, and my blonde French partner walked in. I frowned which made her laugh. "Where's Wally?"

"It's good to see you too." She teased. Artemis seemed very gentle compared to her usual defiant self. She sat down on the end of my bed and held my hand. This scared me so much. My heart pounded faster in my chest and the beeping of the heart monitor sped up. Artemis squeezed my hand. "Dick, you need to relax." I took a deep breath in then released it. The beeping came steady again. "Are you sure you're ready?" She asked. Without hesitation I shook my head. That made her smile. "Ok, I'll just go get him." The blonde got off my bed and walked out of the room.

Moments later she walked back in. Following behind her was Wally... in a wheelchair. My jaw dropped and my heart stopped. Artemis waved to me then left the room while Wally rolled up next to me. I was beyond shocked. He grinned sheepishly. "Hey bro."

I just stared at him, unable to do anything else. "I-is it permanent?"

Wally looked down at his lap then back at me. "Yeah, I'm paralysed from the waist down." He laughed a little at my expression. "Breath Rob, it's ok."

"It's not ok!" I yelled at him. "You're in a wheelchair, paralysed! You can't run anymore!" My voice faded to barely a whisper. I looked away in shame. "This was my fault, I caused this."

Wally grabbed my hand. "This is not your fault. I don't care about running, I'm just happy you're alive."

Sobs racked my body. I pulled my hand away from his and tucked myself into a ball. "Running was your life, and I destroyed that." I cried into my knees.

"No, my friends and family are my life. I'd happily choose your life over running. Sometimes bad stuff happens..."

"This wasn't supposed to happen! It can't be! I won't believe that you're supposed to be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of your life!" I jumped out of my bed, ripping out my drip and the heart monitor on the way. The sound of a flat line filled the room. In a fit of rage I pushed photo frames and the vase of daffodils off the table. They shattered over the floor.

"Rob!" Wally yelled. Artemis heard the commotion and almost kicked down the door.

"Dick!" She yelled at me. I looked around and realised what I had just done. A dizzy sensation came over me and I fell backwards. Artemis caught me just in time. With some effort she picked me up and placed me back on my bed where I broke down. A doctor rushed into the room. He and Artemis started discussing something.

I looked at Wally. His eyes were filled with concern. A tear was in the corner of his eye. "I-I-I'm so, so, so, so s-sorry." I whispered. Wally held my hand again while the doctor reattached my drip and put something through it. "I'm not crazy, please." I begged.

He looked at me sadly. "I know you're not crazy, but I'm sorry. For your own safety, its better you be sedated." I nodded and let myself sink into a relaxed state of sleep.

**Sorry it's short. :) Thanks for reading, and pretty please review! **


	7. Crazy

**I had to hand in my unfinished story yesterday. That was pretty fun. But just because I've handed it in doesn't mean I won't update this Asap. This story's only got a few chapters left. **

**Thank You reviewers! :D **

**Obiwan1022: Yeah! (Btw brace yourself for this one ;). Thanks!**

**Nightinggale: Thanks you! Cliché much? Everything needs a bit of cliché-ness. **

**READINGhearts17: If it was my choice I would have killed Bruce back in the crash, but my friends convinced me not to kill. They allowed me character torture though. :) Thanks!**

**greyember13: Thanks! Just curious, what does TTATT mean? (btw you might need to brace yourself as well :)**

**just eating toast: By the power of butter-side down, I give you chapter 7. :P**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.**

"Yo Rob, wanna go to the park?"

I scrunched my nose up at Wally's suggestion. "My names not Rob, and no, I don't want to go." I grumbled bringing my knees closer to my chest.

"Well , Dick, do you wanna go for a walk with me?" Wally asked from the door way.

"You can't walk." I pointed out plainly. "Thanks to me." Instinctively I looked away. That was what I did now, whenever the subject came up, and that seemed to be all the time. My current position on the couch was the position I usually took up if I was really depressed. I hugged my knees to my chest and slightly rocked back and forth. That was what I had been reduced to.

The happy kid I used to be was gone, replaced with what I was. Over the past month I had become severely depressed. There was once when I even tried to kill myself. Nothing was worth anything and I was confused about my life. Everyone had come to the conclusion that I was insane... And I believed them.

Wally wheeled himself to beside me with a determined look on his face. He started tugging at my leg with one of his arms while his other tried to wheel away. I was surprised at how strong his arms were. "Come on!" he clenched his teeth and tried harder.

"No! Go away Wally!" I yelled and started randomly kicking his arm. One of my kicks missed and landed on his wheelchair. It had just enough force to unbalance him. He tipped over and fell to the floor with a thud. I looked at him with a blank expression while he sat himself up.

"Dude, help me up." I continued to stare at him vacantly. "Please?" He asked. I wasn't responding so he dragged himself over to the couch and pulled lightly on my foot.

I snapped out of my daze and glanced at him but quickly turned away again. "You don't need my help. I'm just a burden you have to care for." I mumbled.

Wally wore a pained expression. "Hello, captain obvious? I need your help _now_." Hearing his cries I walked over and picked up his wheelchair and placed it the right way up. Wally started clapping. "That's it, well done!" I glared at him and he burst into laughter.

"It's not funny!" I complained. When he had stopped laughing, I moved over to him. Wally was a lot harder to figure out. I put my arm under his and attempted to pick him up bridal style. Keyword being _attempted_. I half dragged him over to his seat. He was heavier than I remembered.

Wally noticed and started smirking. "Am I getting heavier or are you weaker?" He joked. I rolled my eyes. His smile grew larger when he saw me do that. "Still don't wanna go to the park?"

**oooOOO000 000OOOooo**

We sat in front of a large pond that was in the middle of the park. A family of ducks glided gracefully across the water with not a care in the world. All birds seemed to be that way, like they had nothing to worry about. They were free to fly and live happy lives going from one place to another. I wished I could be as free as a bird, to stretch my wings and fly away from my life. I wished I had of flown away with my parents when I had the chance. Everything would be so much easier for a bird. I returned to watching the ducks splash around happily, oblivious to everything around them.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked Wally, interrupting whatever he had previously been talking about.

He stared at me in mock-bewilderment. "What? Getting your approval of Artemis? Because I love her, and we want to know if you're..." I shot him a glare. "...cool with it?" His face softened.

"Why are you doing this?" I repeated. "Everyone treats me like I've gone insane. They think I've gone crazy... And don't think I haven't seen them watching my every move." I looked up at him desperately with my big blue eyes. "Why are you treating me like I'm normal?"

He just smiled. "Because you're not crazy. In my eyes, this makes you normal, for once. You've seen so much death and destruction, had way too many bad things happen in your lifetime, and now you've finally cracked. All you need to do is put your shattered life back together." He leant back on the bench we were sitting on and watched the ducks. "Also I trust you, to not harm yourself, and I'd trust you with my life easily."

"Y-you trust me?" I stuttered in disbelief.

Wally shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah, 100%. Was there ever any doubt?"

I rested my head on Wally's lap. "What do I do now?" I asked him. "Where do I go? I can't stay at your uncle's because he thinks I'm crazy. How do I re-assemble myself?"

Wally had a thoughtful look on his face. "I don't know." He started rubbing my back. "But I'll be here if you need me. Artemis will be too."

I was going to drift off into the first peaceful sleep I had in ages, but I had one last question to ask. "So you and Artemis are dating?"

Wally grinned and shrugged again. "Yep."

"Ewwwwww!"

**Again, sorry if it's short and sorry if it made you cry. :] Thanks for reading and please review!**


	8. Confessions

**After this there's only one more chapter! I'm so happy, not that I'll be ending this story but... well yes but no. Just ignore me and we'll leave it at I'm happy. :D I got a day off school today with the flu so I'm also pretty happy about that. **

**Thanks heaps to greyember13, READINGhearts17, LittleMissEgypt, Flying Jay (Thank you for the idea :), just eating toast, Nightingale, Airmage and DarkMousyRulezAll for reviewing.**

**Disclaimer: I really don't own Young Justice**

_**(This chapter will be from Wally's PoV)**_

"Augh, you really did it this time." I said as clutched my bleeding hand. Blood flowed out of a deep gash in the palm of my hand. It dripped out fast and strong. "Dick can you grab me a towel to something?" I asked. The poor kid looked shocked but still reached for the kitchen towel. I took it off him and wrapped it tightly around my wounded hand. A crimson stain seeped through the material. Looked back at Dick and noticed he was still wide-eyed. I smiled at him reassuringly. "If you want you can look away." He shook his head slightly. I tried to joke to relieve the tension. "Guess we won't be having hotdogs for lunch."

Dick just wasn't the same anymore. Earlier at the park was the first time in a month that I had seen him relaxed. Everyone thought he was insane. My uncle Barry wouldn't leave me alone in the same room as him for my _'safety'_. Dick wasn't insane! Depressed? Yes, but not crazy! I was pretty sure that he was just having a nervous break-down. He showed all the symptoms. Either way I wasn't prepared to give up on like everyone else had.

I noticed the knife I had been using was close to his feet. "Hey, careful with that knife." I warned him pointing to it. He looked down then picked it up.

Within seconds of him picking it up, my uncle burst through the front door. He took one look at the scene before him and rushed to my side. He glared harshly at Dick. "Put. The. Knife. Down." Dick dropped it in shock. He stared rabbit eyed at Uncle Barry.

"It's not what it looks like!" I tried to reason, but my uncle just wouldn't listen.

"What are you thinking? You're totally insane, dangerous. You need serious help! Go to your room!" He snarled at the boy. The kid's eyes welled up with tears before he fled down the hall. I looked at my uncle as he lent down to examine my wound. "Dick can't stay here anymore. He's a danger to have around because he's lost it. He needs to be put somewhere where he can't hurt anybody..."

"Stop it!" I yelled and pulled my hand away. Uncle Barry gave me a look half filled with confusion and half pain. "Stop talking about Dick like that! He's not crazy! And he would _never_ do anything to harm me or anyone else for that matter." I glared daggers at him. "I took him to the park today, and you should have seen the difference it made in him. We came home and I was cutting buns for hotdogs. I wasn't paying attention to the knife because I was having a _conversation_ with him." I wheeled away from him, towards the hall my brother had disappeared down.

**oooOOO000 000OOOooo**

I found Dick huddled in the corner of his room crying. I went up to him slowly. It was heart wrenching to see him in this state, and so often too. Every time I saw him I felt tears prick my eyes. What was happening wasn't his fault. He was an innocent casualty to the war of life and it was unfair. I put my good hand on his shoulder. My brother wiped his eyes and looked up at me. "I just wish this was over. I wish I was at home and that things were the way they used to be." He mumbled.

An idea came to mind when he said 'home'. I didn't like the idea but it was for the sake of my best friend's sanity. This would mean I would have to admit defeat, which was never usually an option for me. I was "Hold on a sec Dick, I need to make some calls. Then I rolled out of his room.

I picked up my phone and dialled Artemis' number. "Hey babe."

"Wally. What do you want?" She asked, well, more like demanded.

I smiled to myself. "I was wondering if you wanted to meet me at the park near my house?"

"Are you insane?" She screeched deafeningly loud. "You know my car broke down last week, and you live four hours away! Gosh, you're as crazy as Dick!"

"Dick's not crazy! I'm going to try and get Bruce to see Dick." There was silence from the other end. "Look, I'm gunna ask Bruce to meet us at the park and I'll ask him to pick you up on the way."

"Ok." She sighed. "But you owe me!" Then she hung up. _'That's my little spitfire!'_ I thought proudly.

**oooOOO000 000OOOooo**

For the second time today Dick and I walked down the path in the park. It was now well and truly afternoon. The kid was in a grumpy mood. "Come on Rob, cheer up." He muttered something that I couldn't hear. "Look, there they are."

Dick looked up to see who I was talking about. He paused slightly and tensed up a little. My girlfriend walked up to me coolly and kissed me on the cheek. Her pale green eyes looked up at me and I could see a million different questions running through them. I shrugged and held her hand. She just smiled. I looked back at Dick to see him scowling at Bruce. "What is he doing here?" Dick asked in a hostile tone.

"We need to talk." Bruce said calmly. "I hear you're having, problems?"

"Not, you too!" Dick looked at Bruce with disgust. "Not that I care what you think. My world's been crumbling around me you weren't there! I haven't seen or heard from you since the accident." Bruce looked ashamedly at the ground. "You didn't even come see me in hospital or anything."

"Dick, calm down." I tried hard to shut him up.

"No Wally! Not to mention I have no proper home because _he_," Dick pointed at Bruce. "disowned me!" The boy started panting slightly, like he was exhausted.

Bruce straightened up and looked at Dick confused. "That's not true! I visited you twice but both times you were heavily sedated. Wally told me he was making sure you get a home with someone else because of what happened, which I'm really sorry about."

"Wally!" They yelled in unison. Even Artemis yelled at me.

"What?" I yelled back. "I didn't want Bruce to have you back. But now I realise that he, as much as I hate to admit it, is best for you." I looked at Dick's expression. The poor kid looked just about ready to faint. "I think we need to sit down. How about under that tree?" He reluctantly agreed and we all moved over to the nearby oak tree. It was large and cast a pretty big shadow, which was cool and refreshing since it was a really hot day.

"Is there any other secrets being kept?" Dick asked as he sat down. Bruce and Artemis stayed standing. I didn't have the choice of sitting or standing. We all shook our heads. "Good. So why did you drag us here Wally?"

I sighed and looked away from Dick. "I think it would be best if you went back to living in the mansion with Bruce and Alfred. I know you're not crazy, but you are having a mental break-down." I glanced at Dick, expecting him to be angry but he was... understanding? So I decided to continue. "Bruce is experienced with this type of thing and, like you said earlier, things should go back to normal. I'm at fault here, sorry Dick. I didn't want to hurt you bro, I was just trying to protect you. I spoke to Bruce, and he's sorry. I'm sorry." Dick just stared at me then nodded. _'He's not crying'_ I noted. _'That's a good sign.'_

Dick stood up. "Thank you Wally, for everything." The kid smiled. He actually _smiled_! It was short lived but it was progress, he was on the road to healing his shattered life.

**Thanks for reading! Do you like the way this story's turning out? Please review! :]**


	9. Healing

**Last chapter! Yesss! Finally this story is coming to a stop. And this will be the first story I've actually EVER fully completed. :)**

**Ok, I want to thank all the people who have put this story on their alert or favourite it. :)**

**And then Thank you to my awesomely amazing reviews, I want to thank you guys for the feedback. I put a smile on my face. :) Thanks:**

** Abbie. As .Sue **

**just eating toast **

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**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice**

**(We're going back to Dick's PoV :)**

_How could something so simple have turned out so wrong? It was meant to be a celebration... But it only turned out to be a disaster. Heavy on the 'Dis'._

It had been 2 months since I had gone back to living with Bruce. Those 2 months weren't easy. It was hard. There were a lot of times when I felt miserable and all I wanted to do was give up. I even tried one more attempt at suicide. But Wally, Bruce and Artemis found out and pulled me through. They saved me just in time. Throughout those hard times they were always there for me and never left my side.

I smiled at my friends surrounding me. Bruce had invited them around. We were all sitting on the couches joking, laughing, smiling, sharing cookies... like everything was normal. I looked at each person and thought of what they meant to me.

I had my arm around Barbra, the smile she wore warming my heart.

At the end of the first month I had started going back to school, which also wasn't easy, especially when everyone thinks you're crazy. Even Barbra did! She ignored me all day, which was hurtful. She managed to avoid me in all of our classes. By lunch I had enough of it, so I dragged her away into a random room where I could talk to her. We talked and somehow that talk turned into a kiss that left us both breathless. After that she stared into my eyes and promised that she will never doubt me again. She tried to help me as best as she could.

Artemis sat next to us. She protected and stood up for me when I needed it.

Some older boys at school thought it would be funny to pick on the 'Psycho kid'. They stole my bag and started tossing it around. Artemis jumped in and fought off the boys. The boys ran off like scared little kids and never bothered me again. No one messed with Artemis and they all knew that she had my back. I could go to her whenever I needed because she would be for me.

Then Wally was sitting there next to Artemis, and he was telling the lamest jokes ever. He was my big brother and tried his hardest to make me smile.

Every weekend Wally would come around to see me. Usually he'd drag poor Artemis along with him. He helped me work at being happy. We'd laugh and joke about stuff that didn't even make sense. He believed in me and never gave up. Also, he convinced people that I was normal. It took a while for people to realise that I wasn't insane, but that did. Wally's Uncle Barry even came over and apologised.

Bruce and Alfred weren't in the room, but they were the reason I was sitting there with my friends.

They gladly took me back in. At first it was a little tense between Bruce and me. Soon though, we both lightened up and we tried to get back the father and son relationship we had before. And Alfred was still my grand-father. They say you never miss something until it's gone. Well, I realised how much I missed Alfred's cooking. Bruce and Alfred gave me a home and a family.

I leant back in my chair smiling. Things were finally looking better again. I could get on with my life. My friends and family were there for me and that's all that mattered. With their help I would get through this. I don't want to fly too quickly. I'm enjoying the suspense and joy of falling because I know that when the times right, I'll open my wings and fly away. Just, not yet.

_I can't just forget what happened, no matter how much I'd like to. Healing is a long and painful process...But its well worth it. My shattered life began to disappear. Heavy on the 'Dis'._

**Short and sweet! Thanks for reading and also for sticking around! :D Hope you guys enjoyed it! Please review. Thank you!**


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